Resolution Redux
by iffulovedme
Summary: Atobe/Yukimura. Atobe/Oshitari. Jiroh/Bunta. Jiroh has a crush on Atobe and resolves to make Atobe his. But Atobe hooks up with one too many, Jiroh decides to give up. Will Jiroh succeed, or will this resolution be broken too?
1. So it begins

Jiroh sat on a bench outside the school building. He was very close to dozing off when a boy came strolling down the hallway. Jiroh recognized him immediately. Atobe Keigo, the most popular boy in school. Affluent, smart, and athletic. He was Hyoutei's shining star for the glory it so craved.

"Hey, Akutagawa-kun right?"

"Yes," Jiroh said, his back straightening and feeling much more awake in the presence of such a beautiful boy.

"What are you doing here?"

"I just got out of detention and was about to go home. But then I saw the bench and I felt the need to sit down."

Atobe looked mildly alarmed. "Are you okay?" He offered Jiroh his water bottle. Jiroh drank from it greedily, delighting in the indirect kiss.

"So, what did you do?" Atobe asked and to Jiroh's amazement, he took a seat next to him.

Fidgeting, Jiroh confessed, "I feel asleep in class again."

"Oh, did you have a hard time falling asleep last night?"

"No, it's just I'm never really awake." Jiroh could hardly believe that the Atobe Keigo was actually interested in what he had to say.

Atobe frowned for a moment and Jiroh worried, thinking he'd maybe said something wrong. Because of course Atobe could care less. Stupid, stupid, stupid. He was an idiot to expect more, but Jiroh couldn't help it. Whenever he looked at Atobe, there was something so compelling that Jiroh felt the need to say something, to hold his attention for fear he might leave.

Then Atobe smiled and Jiroh could almost hear birds chirping.

"I know what you need." Atobe leaned forward ever so slightly and Jiroh could smell the sweet sweat coming off him. Could see a bead of sweat slide down the opening of Atobe's jersey.

Jiroh fought to keep the smile in place but his throat caught. Was Atobe going to suggest medication?

"Come to tennis practice with me. I was just taking a break; some of the upperclassmen aren't too thrilled at the fact that I'm vice-captain." Atobe chuckled, smiling as though at some private joke.

Jiroh stared in complete admiration. "The elections were today? Really, Sakaki-sensei chose you? That's- wow, congratulations!"

"You're the first one I've met who seems happy. Everyone seems to resent me." Atobe looked down at his tennis shoes. "Hey, Jiroh-kun-can I call you that?" Jiroh nodded enthusiastically. "Want to walk me back to practice? You could watch, then decide if you want to play."

"Okay," Jiroh agreed, because when Atobe Keigo smiles at you, you're totally and completely captivated.


	2. One month later

"I..like you. A lot. Will you go out with me?"

Atobe hesitated and Jiroh's hopes fell splat on the school's white linoleum floor.

"If you're seeing someone…" Jiroh began, his stomach tied up in knots that made every intake of breath painful.

"No, nothing like that. I'm single, but the thing is, I don't want to date anyone right now. " Atobe had the grace to look sheepish.

"Oh. I see." Jiroh wished he could disappear, or if that was impossible, that his face wasn't so red.

"Sorry. I understand if you're mad…"

"I'm not going to wait for you," Jiroh said, praying to God that Atobe couldn't tell he was lying.

"Good, I wouldn't want you to," Atobe replied quietly, trying to smile but not quite managing it.

"See you at practice, vice captain?"

And that would've been it. Except both of them were lying.


	3. One year later

Lying down on the grass, Jiroh clenched his fists before gingerly sitting up. He coughed twice before calling out, "Hey, Buchou!"

Atobe turned and there it was, that dazed post-coital expression. Jiroh tried desperately not to start crying. He jogged to where Jiroh sat.

"Yes, Jiroh? Did you want something?" Even Atobe's voice was softer. Jiroh offered him a sunny smile, trying to mask his outrage.

"Yeah, did you talk to Yukimura yet?"

Atobe grinned and leaned down, ruffling Jiroh's hair. "Yes and he said he'd pass along the message." Then he walked away, leaving Jiroh to stare wistfully after him. Even though it'd been a year and Atobe was dating Fudomine's Tachibana Kippei, Jiroh still had a massive crush on his captain. And he was at a complete loss as to what to do about it. Oshitari would tell him to date someone else. But that was impossible. Atobe was a one of-of-kind.


	4. One day later

As soon as the teacher left the room, Atobe twisted around in his seat and called his name softly. Jiroh's eyes blinked open and he was awake enough to feel the familiar fluttering in his stomach when Atobe angled a wide grin his way. "Hey, Jiroh, catch." The vice-captain tossed a square of folded loose leaf and Jiroh catch it reflexively. His breath caught when Atobe winked. "Make sure you open it private."

Jiroh thought his heart would burst as his thoughts raced. Did Atobe and Tachibana break up? Did Atobe want to date him instead? Was this note a confession? Jiroh felt dizzy with happiness. The teacher returned and as she resumed teaching, for the first time in a while, Jiroh stayed awake.

He ran to the boy's bathroom and opened the note. In girly, slanted handwriting read:

_Dear Jiroh-kun,_

_Bunta would love to play a match with you. He'll meet you on our courts since I understand from Keigo that yours are being renovated._

_May your day be filled with sunshine,_

_- Yukimura Seiichi ϋ_


	5. Later that day

"Did you hear?" Gakuto piped up as he sat next to Jiroh's head on the bleachers, legs swinging idly back and forth.

Jiroh yawned before asking, "What?"

"Atobe-buchou and Tachibana split up."

Jiroh didn't sit up in excitement, but he almost did. "Oh?"

Gakuto didn't need any further motivation to keep going. "Yeah, and guess who he's going out with now?"

Jiroh hid a scowl, thinking, _Why does Atobe have to be so goddamn popular?_

"Rikkai's _Yukimura Seiichi_."

Jiroh nearly fainted, which he supposed he could've gotten away with; people would've just assumed he'd fallen asleep. Because the world was an unfair place, this development made complete sense. Why else would Yukimura be willing to coerce Marui-kun into playing a match with him?


	6. One fortnight later

Jiroh let out a deep, contented sigh. His idol Marui Bunta watched him lazily. They lay together on the tennis courts, on the same side of the net. Their rackets had been tossed aside after the match as they had both collapsed on the unforgiving concrete.

Jiroh grinned, thinking that maybe Bunta would be open to getting ice cream with him later.

"You're incredible, Marui-kun," his voice breathy and unfamiliar. He could do this: play tennis and flirt, like he wasn't in love with someone else.

"Thanks, kid. You're not half bad, either."

And the smile Bunta gave him just then, it didn't make his heart ricochet but it sped up a little. And he seized on that like a lifeline.

Jiroh slowly, agonizingly, sat up so he could face Bunta.

"Hey, you got any plans later?"

Bunta's eyes stayed closed. "Mmm, nope. Well, I have to go home and babysit the little demons…Why, what did you have in mind?"

"There's this new bakery…"

Bunta's eyes snapped open. And Jiroh couldn't help but wish Atobe was so easily swayed.


	7. Later that week

"Keigo, we have practice in five minutes." Jiroh was slumped against Atobe who was in turn leaning against the lockers.

Their last class of the day, English, had just ended. Jiroh and Atobe had cleared a spot on the floor and were currently lying down, face up. They were next to each other but not touching. Jiroh wasn't sure if he was hallucinating but he thought he could feel the heat radiating from Atobe's body. _I must be crazy_, he decided happily.

Atobe made a face and let out a disgruntled noise. "I don't care. Let's skip practice."

Jiroh laughed, thinking he was kidding. "You're the captain; you can't skip practice." But Atobe was serious.

"What's wrong, Keigo?"

"I don't know. I just don't feel like myself."

Jiroh tilted his head so he could better see Atobe's face. "Are things going okay with Yukimura?"

Jiroh saw Atobe's body stiffen and tried not to be indignant. He scoffed while trying to keep his tone light, "What, you didn't think I knew?"

"We were trying to be discrete," Atobe muttered in a slightly defensive tone. Jiroh just looked at him. Then they both laughed.

"Yukimura thinks I'm cheating on him," Atobe confided, his hands clenching.

Jiroh knew better than to ask if it was true. "Well, do you know who with?"

Atobe pinched the bridge of his nose. "Didn't ask."

"Well, he must know it can't be anyone here."

"What do you mean, here?"

"From Hyoutei." Jiroh scratched the back of his head with his hand.

"I know, but what are you talking about?"

Jiroh was slightly incredulous. "Keigo, you can't tell me you haven't noticed that you only date outside of Hyoutei and usually captains."

"I do not."

"Oh really? Tezuka, Kippei, Jyousen Taki-"

"-Yukimura," Atobe finished. He shrugged and then hummed noncommittally. "But you're wrong, anyhow."

"Yeah?"

"Yes. Yuushi and I dated briefly last month."

Jiroh's memory flashed back to that day after a particularly easy practice. Shishido had wondered aloud where Atobe was getting some and praised whoever it was. Jiroh had looked at Oshitari, expecting him as Atobe's confidante to be in the loop. But that smug, dreamy eyed look on Oshitari's face had annoyed Jiroh. Huh. So that explained it.

"I'm surprised I didn't hear about it," Jiroh muttered under his breath. Atobe did a strange sort of shrug where his left shoulder dipped down.

"But, say you didn't know this. It's not about the school, Yuushi aside. I didn't decide that. I don't decide who I fall in love with. If I find the right person…" he trailed off, not looking at Jiroh, his eyes, the color of dark water, trained on nothing in particular.

"Yeah…" Jiroh couldn't be sure, but he thought he kept the longing out of his voice. But who knew?


	8. One week later

Jiroh was more awake than usual (which is to say, not very) when his mobile rang. He was on his way to Atobe's but the name on the caller ID said…

"Marui-kun, what's up?" His stomach did a weird floppy thing and his knees were a bit shaky. Was Bunta calling to ask him on a date?

"Not much, kid. I'm really sorry to do this over the phone-"

Jiroh's face split into a grin. Oh. My. God. It was really happening. Bunta was going to ask him out! _Yes_! Jiroh wanted to do a happy dance but decided against it. That would be uncool. Finally, he'd be able to get over Atobe. It was about time.

"It's okay. Or if you want, you can do it in person. Because we're meeting this Saturday…I'm sorry. I know I'm rambling. Uh, yeah, so same time as usual, right?"

Bunta suddenly sounded a bit apprehensive. "Hey, kid, didn't you hear?" Jiroh could hear him as he snapped his bubble gum decisively. "Yukimura-buchou and Atobe-buchou broke up. I think Atobe's going out with Oshitari-san now."

"So?" Jiroh was a tad impatient. Atobe's love life was no longer his concern.

"So. I was really only doing it 'cause Buchou asked me to..." Bunta trailed off and the sound of a bubble popping filled Jiroh's ear.

"Don't you want to keep playing though? For practice?" Jiroh refused to admit that his feelings were hurt.

"Well, I dunno." The bubble made a harsh popping noise. "I'm not so sure I'm going to be playing in high school. Really, I did this as a favor. I mean, kid, you're all right. But nowhere near as brilliant as me. See…"

"Yeah, it's fine. I totally understand," he responded, pushing as much cheeriness as he could into his voice.

Feeling surprisingly down in the dumps, Jiroh put his hand over his eyes. He closed his eyes, willing the hurt away. Of course he loved Atobe with all his heart, but he would be lying if he said he wasn't interested in Rikkai's tensai. Thus, his feelings of dejection.

Sighing, Jiroh walked up to the imposing mansion known as Atobe's abode. Atobe had given Jiroh and a few other of his most trusted members of the team spare keys to his house. For emergencies. Jiroh used it now, letting himself in, figuring this was an emergency.

Nodding to the flurry of maids and butlers, Jiroh climbed the stairs to Atobe's room. He was about to open Atobe's door but then thought better of it. He pressed his ear against the door, but it wasn't hard to make out the conversation – though not quite yelling, Oshitari and Atobe were clearly having an argument. Jiroh entered the room, wanting to defuse the situation before the first punch was thrown. They were supposed to be together. Jiroh knew Yukimura was right in his suspicions. That Atobe was cheating on him with Oshitari. The way Atobe's spoke sotto voce. The weight of Atobe's gaze as it drifted towards Oshitari (it was wont to do so) during a tennis match even though Oshitari wasn't on the court. Atobe has just as good as confessed it the other day.

"Keigo?"

He saw before him a strange sight. Atobe had Rikkai Dai's Seiichi Yukimura pinned bodily against the opposite wall. Jiroh blinked once, then twice. But…

"What about Yuushi?" There was a tremble in Jiroh's voice. He wasn't sure if was out of anger or disbelief.

Atobe had the chagrin not to directly look into Jiroh's intense stare.

"Look, Jiroh. I thought I could do this, this relationship with Yuushi. I thought I loved him. But I was wrong. We're not right for each other. We're just supposed to be friends."

His eyes slid in Yukimura's direction. "I thought I could stop loving him. But I was wrong. I mean, yeah, I cheated on him, with Yuushi. But it wasn't worth it."

"Oh, Kei," Yukimura simpered. Jiroh thought he might actually have seen stars in the blue haired captain's eyes.

And seeing the way Yukimura and Atobe looked at each other, the way their bodies wrapped around each other….his feelings for Atobe heightened, heating up until Jiroh could barely breathe. Then like a supernova, it all, everything, his puppy love and frustration, faded into nothingness.

Without a backward glance, Jiroh slipped out unnoticed.


	9. A few uneventful days later

"Atobe and Yukimura-buchou are back together."

Marui Bunta stood in front of a bemused Jiroh. They were outside Hyoutei and Atobe, in a predictable act of post-sex obliviousness, dismissed them early from practice. Jiroh had been pleasantly surprised to see the traffic stopping yellow tennis uniform. Bunta's red hair fell in crinkles around his pale, heart shaped face.

"I know."

"So I guess we're back on?"

Jiroh looked into those uniquely gorgeous eyes. And said, "No."

"What?"

Channeling his own inner Atobe's iciness, Jiroh stated, "I don't want to be a burden to you."

"No. I want you, Jiroh-kun."

Jiroh's head snapped up. "What did you say?"

"Sorry. I understand. It's fine. I'll just go-"

"Say my name again."

Bunta cocked his head to one side, an Atobe-esque smirk playing about his lips. "Jiroh," he said, his voice confident. Atobe would have purred or carressed his name, Jiroh was sure.

"Yes?" he asked innocently, happily.

"Go out with me, _Jiroh_."

Jiroh's eyes were glazing over as he whispered, "Okay. You're just the right amount of genius."

Bunta smiled. Jiroh liked making Bunta smile.

He wasn't Atobe. But maybe that was okay. Because Jiroh's stomach was jumping around and he had trouble catching his breath.

As Bunta eyed a spot on the floor he awkwardly held out his hand, Jiroh took it. It wasn't cool as ice like Atobe's. Bunta's hand was warm and sweaty, just like Jiroh's.

He wasn't Atobe; he was _better_.

~Fin


End file.
